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Odisha: Congress leader Md Moquim expelled from party days after highlighting leadership crisis and failures, citing Mallikarjun Kharge’s age and capabilities

Sudarshan Vahini


Mohammed Moquim expulsion

The Congress party expelled senior leader and former Odisha MLA Muhammed Moquim on Monday (15th December), just days after he wrote a letter to former party president Sonia Gandhi, questioning the leadership of current Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The party cited “anti-party activities” as the reason for his expulsion, but did not spell out the exact actions that led to the decision.

A notice issued by the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) said that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had approved the proposal to expel Moquim from the party’s primary membership. “This is for the information of all concerned that AICC has approved the proposal for the expulsion of Sri Md. Moquim from the primary membership of the party, due to anti-party activities,” the OPCC notice said.

Letter to Sonia Gandhi triggered backlash

The action against Moquim came soon after he wrote to Sonia Gandhi, urging her to intervene in what he described as a “difficult phase” for the Congress party. In his letter, Moquim questioned whether the party was being led effectively and openly suggested that Mallikarjun Kharge’s age was a concern.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Moquim said that the party needed fresh thinking and younger leadership. “I have written a letter to Sonia Gandhi stating that the party is going through a difficult phase and needs her advice and new leadership. Age is not on the side of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. We should bring forward young leaders,” he had said, adding that recent by-election results, including the Nuapada bypoll, were worrying.

Moquim’s remarks did not go down well with the state leadership. OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das strongly criticised him and accused him of echoing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s line. “Those who challenge the party leadership should immediately join the BJP,” Das said on Sunday (14th December), making it clear that the party would not tolerate public dissent against its top leadership.

What Moquim wrote in the letter

In the letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi, Moquim pointed to a string of Congress defeats in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Kashmir. He argued that these losses were not isolated incidents but signs of deeper organisational problems.

“The recent outcomes in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Kashmir, where our defeats were by staggering margins, are not just electoral setbacks; they reflect a deeper organisational disconnect,” the letter said. He blamed “wrong decisions” and “misguided leadership choices” for weakening the party and questioned whether responsibilities were being given to the right people.

“Painful questions are being raised. Are decisions being made seriously? Are responsibilities being entrusted to the right people? Does the leadership truly understand the seriousness of this crisis?” Moquim asked in his letter.

A history of run-ins with the party

This is not the first time Mohammed Moquim has landed in trouble with Congress. In July 2022, he was issued a show-cause notice for cross-voting in support of NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, going against the official party line. He was later suspended again on 15th July, 2023, for questioning Odisha Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik’s leadership, though that suspension was revoked in January 2024 ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Moquim, a former Barabati-Cuttack MLA, was also disqualified from contesting the 2024 elections after being convicted in a state vigilance case in September 2022. His seat is currently held by his daughter, Sofia Firdaus, who is now a sitting Congress MLA.



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